Neighborhood of the Week: The Bluffs

Emily J. Minor

Friday

Aug 10, 2012 at 12:01 AMAug 10, 2012 at 4:00 AM

You could get lost here, easily. After all, it’s seven different communities spread across nearly 350 acres. But if you get turned around at The Bluffs, one of Jupiter’s oldest beach communities, you can always just stop and listen for the ocean.

And then, you’ll find your way.

Built back in the mid-1980s by Burg & DiVosta, The Bluffs is one of those places that people lined up to buy, and John Turner was one of those people. A recent college graduate who had always saved his money, Turner camped out one night back in the spring of 1984 - getting his all-important number card to keep his place in line, then crashing in his car.

Why? He’d heard they were selling oceanfront town homes for $59,900.

"Even then, it was hard to get anything on the beach for under $100,000," says Turner, who sold that first house about 14 years ago, and now lives elsewhere and works managing the property association for two Bluffs neighborhoods - The River, and River North.

As it turned out, the advertising worked - and it worked so well that all those $59,900 units went quickly. (Which was just as well, since they actually had a view only of the local RV park.) Turner ended up buying one with a better view for $69,900. And he’s been carrying a torch for The Bluffs ever since.

"Now I’ve been in my current house for 14 years, and I kind of want a change," he said. "I might even move back here."

He’d be in good company. With a total of 2,069 living units - everything from oceanfront condos to single-family homes with a view of the preserve - The Bluffs is home to a slice of Americana. Families with kids. Retirees. Snowbirds. Professionals. Singles. Divorced moms and dads.

Ben Hunter has lived there (coincidentally) for 14 years, and he says he’s also in love.

"I’ve traveled all over Florida, and I wouldn’t live anywhere else," said Hunter, who lives in The Lakes. "My son is a surfer and I’m a runner, so this was just a natural place for me to be."

His son is grown and gone, but Hunter can’t say goodbye.

Lee Farmer, a Realtor who often sells in The Bluffs and a Palm Beach County native, remembers this waterfront land - situated between the ocean and the intracoastal - when it was nothing but sand and scrub. Slightly elevated because it’s part of the coastal ridge, Farmer said he used to ride horses and race his motorcycle in these parts before Burg & DiVosta began building.

"It’s very high and dry," said Farmer, who lives in The River. "We’ve never had any standing water or flooding.

"I think it’s the most successful Burg & DiVosta community because of its location near the beach."

But if you’re looking for property, it might take you a while to figure things out. There’s The Lakes, Ocean South, Ocean North, Marina at the Bluffs, River North, River, and The Ridge. All the separate neighborhoods have their own pool, and most have tennis courts. There’s no big clubhouse for everyone to use for the annual holiday party, but there’s plenty of space outdoors, including beach access, a dog park, a nearby town park, playgrounds, basketball courts and a protected preserve.

Right now there are 43 homes for sale, and the prices range from $175,000 for a town home at The Lakes to $499,000 for an oceanfront unit at Ocean South. Betsy Munson, another Realtor who lives here, says the location, the amenities and the neighbors can’t be beat. "It’s a beautiful community with pools and tennis, and you can bike or walk to the beach," she says.

Each section has its own homeowner’s association and quarterly fees range from $435 for single-family homes in The River to $1,285 for condo fees at Marina at The Bluffs. All the basic cable and front-yard yard work is taken care of. And public schools for this area are A-rated by the state of Florida. They are Lighthouse Elementary, Independence Middle and William T. Dwyer High School.

Munson says she’s always loved the small-town feel - and so do her clients.

"People look out for one another," Munson said. "They know when something’s out of place."

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